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State Championship preview: No. 1 Bayfield at No. 3 Platte Valley

No. 1 Bayfield looks to make history in championship game

When the charter bus pulls into Kersey, the season’s culmination of hard work and dedication will be present.

For all of the blood, sweat and tears the Bayfield High School football team has endured, it all comes down to this: the 2015 Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A State Football Championship game.

The No. 1 Bayfield Wolverines (11-0) will travel to play the No. 3 Platte Valley Broncos (11-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Kersey.

“(There is) a lot of excitement and a lot of amazement,” Bayfield head coach Gary Heide said. “They feel confident and feel like they can do it. They realize that the moment is here.”

The Wolverines and Broncos will put aside the win/loss record and decide the game on the field. These are two teams that have impressive résumés.

Bayfield has scored 433 points on offense through the regular season and playoffs and allowed a mere 70 points on defense. The Wolverines won the 2A Western Slope South League by going 5-0 in the regular season and earned the top seed for the state playoffs. The Wolverines went on to beat Manitou Springs in the opening round, 40-0. Bayfield then traveled to Brush and won 28-14 in the quarterfinals against the defending state champions. Then, at Wolverine Country Stadium, Bayfield beat La Junta 47-7 in the semifinals.

When it’s all said and done, Bayfield will have traveled 1,660 miles round trip.

Platte Valley has scored 455 points on offense and surrendered 134 points on defense and won the 2A Patriot League by also going 5-0.

The Broncos earned the No. 3 seed and beat Gunnison 42-0 in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the Broncos took down Strasburg 56-28, and, in the semifinal game, the Broncos beat Kent Denver, 29-23 in come-from-behind fashion after trailing 17-0 early and 23-21 with less than one minute to play.

“They have a little bit of everything,” Heide said. “They’re in the championship game for a reason; they deserve to be there.”

According to Heide, Platte Valley likes to spread the ball with its quickness on offense. Their defense is loaded with athletes with good size who make plays while disrupting the opposing backfield.

What could give Bayfield issues is Platte Valley’s tackling ability.

The Broncos are led by senior strong safety Matt Hoffman, who leads the defense with 61 tackles and seven interceptions. Junior middle linebacker Drew Neurburg has 56 tackles and senior outside linebacker Jade Taton has 51.

Sophomore defensive back Zach Waite has 32 tackles and six interceptions, while senior defensive end Parker Joens has 46 tackles and a team-leading nine sacks.

With a good defense attacking Bayfield’s offense, Heide said the Wolverines will play the same game they have all year.

“We want to establish the run, and there’s no doubt about it,” Heide said. “Whether it be Zane (Phelps) or some type of option.”

Establishing the run game has worked quite nicely for Heide and the Bayfield offense. Phelps has been a rock all year, leading the Wolverines with 1,511 yards and 22 touchdowns on 245 carries. He also has rushed for 100-plus yards in 10 games as a senior.

For Platte Valley, the Broncos have junior Austin Hill as the feature running back. He has 914 yards and five touchdowns on 130 carries.

“I’ve seen a lot of speed,” Bayfield defensive coordinator Mike Wnorowski said. “They’re a team that will pound the ball inside and spread the ball out. They’re very balanced on offense. Their offensive line looks like they throw bales of hay nonstop. Those kids are big, bulky and strong.”

The leader of the Broncos is do-it-all quarterback Tanner Schwindt, who has thrown for 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns on 126-for-237 passing. He has thrown 14 interceptions, so the Bayfield secondary will be on alert.

“Their quarterback is exceptional, their running back is exceptional, and they have great speed at wide receiver. It’s going to be a big challenge,” Wnorowski added.

As Hoffman is the Broncos’ leader on defense, he also does it at the wide receiver spot by leading Platte Valley with 506 yards and six touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Parker Gilliand will also give Bayfield issues, as he’s compiled 741 yards of total offense and five touchdowns.

The Platte Valley defense will have its hands full, too. Throughout the playoffs, teams have stacked the defense to stop Phelps and the running game. What has emerged from Heide’s offensive game planning is the efficiency of senior Kelton McCoy at quarterback.

McCoy has thrown for 1,097 yards with 16 touchdowns to only two interceptions. While in the playoffs, McCoy has nearly matched his entire regular season total through the air with 532 yards in three games versus 754 yards in eight regular-season games.

“(Other teams) stack the box and come really hard,” said Phelps, son of Dion and Koel Phelps. “I think our passing attack will be even more open than it’s been in the past few weeks. Our run offense sets up our passing attack.

“I think teams have seen what we do all season and decided that the only way they can beat the best team in the state is to take away what we’re good at. Kelton has done a great job at being able to be more (in the playoffs). We’ve really been able to show that we can transition to something else and (other teams) can’t stop just one thing.”

McCoy had the game of his life in a 47-7 win over No. 4 La Junta at last week’s semifinal game. In that game, he scored six total touchdowns – four passing and two rushing.

“We were better than we thought we were at the beginning of the season,” said McCoy, son of Derek and Loresa McCoy.

McCoy sat out the summer camp at Colorado State University-Pueblo with a broken left foot he sustained from baseball season. Overcoming an injury such as a broken foot gave him determination for his senior year.

“It’s taught me to cherish every moment,” McCoy said. “It wasn’t fun sitting out the summer camp and watching these guys have a ball at CSU-Pueblo. I’ve enjoyed every practice and every workout and everything we’ve done this year.”

Even though McCoy started 2015 in a boot, the Wolverines have stayed relatively injury-free all year, which will continue, as no player from Bayfield is ailing. The Wolverines will need all the energy they have to take down Platte Valley.

“It’s going to be a great challenge, and top off the great year that we’ve had,” McCoy said. “There’s no better way to go out than to beat Platte Valley.”

McCoy’s favorite targets this year have been seniors Wyatt Freier and Taed Heydinger. Freier led the Wolverines with 453 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Heydinger has 335 yards and seven touchdowns.

Platte Valley will also have to worry about Bayfield’s X-factor in senior Brody McGhehey, who has led Bayfield in total yards between rushing, receiving, punt and kick returns with 1,123. He has added seven total touchdowns.

The last time these two teams met was in the 2012 semifinal game when the Broncos beat the Wolverines 31-6. That was Heide’s first year as Bayfield head coach.

The Broncos made it to the final game that year but lost to top-seeded Kent Denver, 28-17.

Platte Valley has been a staple in the playoffs in recent years. This is Platte Valley’s fourth year in a row making it to at least the semifinals, with three of the four teams reaching the championship game. The Broncos are coached by Troy Hoffman, who has posted a 45-13 record in five years.

In 2013, Platte Valley won it all when it beat Faith Christian, 28-19.

Last season, the Broncos lost to Kent Denver 19-16 in the semifinal game. The Wolverines were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by Faith Christian, 40-14.

For the senior class of Bayfield players, this is a chance to erase last season and bring home the trophy, and for many Bayfield players, this game is a dream come true.

“We’ve been pretty close our whole lives,” Phelps said. “Most of these guys could dig through pictures and find that most of them went to preschool together, so we’ve known each other a long time.”

Much like the 1996 championship team, the only football team in Bayfield history to win a state title, people will look back and remember a group of players with the heart and determination that was bigger than pride itself and say, “I remember the 2015 Bayfield Wolverines.”

jmentzer@durangoherald.com

Impact Players

No. 1 Bayfield Wolverines

Senior RB Zane Phelps: 1,662 total yards of offense, 23 touchdowns; 54 tackles on defense, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

No. 3 Platte Valley

Senior QB Tanner Schindt: 1,696 passing yards, 16 touchdowns; 713 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns. 2,409 yards of total offense, 29 touchdowns.

How They Got There

No. 1 Bayfield (11-0)

Mascot: Wolverines

Team Colors: Purple, gold

League: 2A Western Slope South

Head Coach: Gary Heide, 4th year

Schedule

Bayfield 43, Kirtland Central (N.M.) 0

Bayfield 34, Miyamura (N.M.) 20

Bayfield 35, Paonia 0

Bayfield 43, Olathe 7*

Bayfield 27, Gunnison 7*

Bayfield 42, Montezuma-Cortez 0*

Bayfield 41, Alamosa 7*

Bayfield 54, Pagosa Springs 8*

Bayfield 40, Manitou Springs 0**

Bayfield 28, Brush 14**

Bayfield 47, La Junta 7**

*–league game

**–state playoff game

No. 3 Platte Valley (11-1)

Mascot: Broncos

Team Colors: Navy, powder blue

League: 2A Patriot League

Head Coach: Troy Hoffman, 5th year

Schedule

Resurrection Christian 15, Platte Valley 13

Platte Valley 30, Strasburg 7

Platte Valley 46, Bennett 6

Platte Valley 38, Lutheran 6

Platte Valley 26, Eaton 6*

Platte Valley 37, Brush 0*

Platte Valley 47, Valley 16*

Platte Valley 56, University 6*

Platte Valley 35, Sterling 21*

Platte Valley 42, Gunnison 0**

Platte Valley 56, Strasburg 28**

Platte Valley 29, Kent Denver 23**

*–league game

**–state playoff game

Durango Herald



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